As a CEO, Paul Polman marked the decade of Unilever from 2009 to 2019, a company operating in more than 170 countries around the world. With Sustainable Living Plan he initiated a comprehensive transformation of Unilever's business model with the aim of making sustainability a commonplace in everyday life, a new "normal state". He is known for many unconventional and hitherto unrecorded moves: he refused to produce detailed quarterly reports and earnings guidelines for the City of London, urged shareholders who do not like Unilever's new long-term business value model to invest elsewhere, and he sent a message to hedge funds that they had nothing to look for in Unilever. In doing so, he ensured in two years that 2/3 of Unilever’s shareholders were long-term oriented. He has actively participated in shaping the goals of sustainable development, and since 2016 he has been one of their official promoters. Two years ago, at the High-Level Political Forum, the UN's central platform for monitoring the implementation of the SDGs, he pointed out that the two biggest problems of today are climate change and inequality, and that we have reached a tipping point where we have to ask ourselves are we aware what we are doing. what are we doing He is a co-founder of the foundation and consulting firm Imagine, aimed at advising CEOs who have already bravely stepped forward in shaping a world where no one is left neglected, which is the motto under which sustainable development goals are pursued.

In 1999, the Swedish creative director Jakob Trollbäck founded the award-winning branding and design studio Trollbäck+Company in New York. Now he is back in Stockholm with The New Division, a new kind of creative company that focuses solely on sustainability. Both companies have design philosophies centering on his motto: Discard everything that means nothing. Jakob’s seminal work creating copywriting and a visual identity system for the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, known as the Global Goals, has given him a unique platform from which to advocate for a sustainable world.

Nicolas De Santis is the Chairman of the Board of Corporate Vision, a consulting firm and innovation incubator based in London. He invented the Global Governance Monitoring System (GLOGO) which divides the world's complex problems into eight macro-areas in which their management, changes and disruptions are studied in order to produce a clear image of the contemporary and future condition of the world. He is the president of the Gold Mercury International think-tank dedicated to global governance and sustainable development, founded in 1961.

Sasja Beslik is a Swedish and international financial expert known for promoting financial sustainability across the world. He has been employed by J. Safra Sarasin since 2019. Beslik won the Swedish Banking Profile of the Year award in 2016. In 2013, he received the H. M. The King's Medal, 8th size with the ribbon of the Order of the Seraphim from King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden for outstanding contributions within Swedish environmental and sustainability development within financial sector. He was chosen as a Young Global Leader at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos in 2011. Stars Fund, the Nordea sustainable fund launched by Beslik in 2011, was chosen as Sweden's best overall equity fund in 2017. It was the first sustainable fund to receive the award. His work for Nordea started in 2009, when he became head of responsible investments and corporate governance. He was named CEO of Nordea Investment Funds Sweden in 2011 and head of responsible investments and identity at Nordea Asset Management in 2013. Finally, at the beginning of 2017, Nordea placed Beslik at the head of a new unit, Sustainable Finance, tasked with implementing the decisions made by the company's corporate responsibility unit. He is the author of the book "Guld och gröna skogar" (2019).

Ognian Zlatev is the Head of the European Commission Representation in Zagreb, Croatia. He is an experienced communication expert with almost thirty years of work experience, who has served in the Representation in Sofia, and especially during the Bulgarian Presidency of the EU Council in 2018, and has successfully contributed to the Commission's work. Mr. Zlatev is well acquainted with EU issues and has exceptional management skills and considerable expertise in the field of media development, Southeast Europe and the Western Balkans. He joined the European Commission in 2011 when he became Head of the Communication Department at the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion. Prior to that, he served as a board member of the Bulgarian National Television and founded and ran the Media Development Center in Bulgaria. In addition, he was one of the founders and president of the Southeast European Media Professionalization Network, which brings together 15 media centers and institutes from the region. He was the director of the Information Center of the Open Society Institute in Sofia, the head of the BBC center in Bulgaria and the head of exchange at the British Council office in Bulgaria. He has also worked as a consultant for international institutions (UNESCO, OSCE, World Bank) in Southeast Europe, the Western Balkans and elsewhere. Since 2014, he has been a member of the European Association of Communications Directors and President of the Association of Public Sector Communicators of Southeast European Countries.

Born on 28 October 1972 in Zagreb where he finished elementary and high school. B. Sc., M. Sc. and Ph. D. (2004) at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing in Zagreb. During his studies, Julije was awarded University of Zagreb Rector's Prize Award for the school year 1995/1996. Julije is a recognized technical expert and scientist, author of special editions and paper reviewer for international scientific journals such as Energy Policy, Forestry Economics and Biomass & Bioenergy. He published over 60 scientific and professional papers in journals or presented at mayor European conferences. During his career, Julije was the head of the Croatian National Energy Program BIOEN, technical editor and national project director for the FAO - United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization project manager for the IEA - International Energy Agency, National Project Coordinator for UNIDO - United Nations Industrial Development Organization and consultant on projects for the World Bank. Since 2008 Julije acts as the Managing Director of the North-west Croatia Regional Energy Agency. Julije was awarded with several awards like 2002 Croatian National Science Award –(Young scientists/Engineering category), Biomass Junior Award on the occasion of the 2nd World Conference of Biomass for Energy, Industry and Climate Protection (Rome, 10-14 May 2004), Annual Hrvoje Pozar Foundation Award 2005, Charter of Pokupsko Municipality Honorary Citizen – awarded on 15 August 2016 and City of Zabok Award 2018. Julije has a strong network of peers and influencers in the EU context owing also to his function as a member of the European Covenant of Mayors Board and the President of the European Federation of Agencies and Regions for Energy and the Environment - FEDARENE since 2013 serving (now in his third term) In the past, Julije several times served European Commission as a project evaluator and invited expert. From 2020, Julije serves the Office of the Croatian President Zoran Milanović as the Special adviser on Energy and Climate.

Marko Delimar is an engineer, educator, researcher, and an optimist. He is a professor and Head of International Study Programmes at the University of Zagreb Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing. He is also the Head-of-studies at the University of Zagreb Study Programme of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Sources in Šibenik. His interests include electric power and energy systems, simulations and modelling, intelligent systems, and engineering education. His current research focuses on analysis and design of smart grid architectures and large-scale integration of renewable energy sources. Sustainability and the impact of energy and power systems on the environment and our future are a paramount part of his research, educational and public activities. An IEEE volunteer since 1994, he previously served as IEEE Secretary and IEEE Region 8 Director and is known as a co-creator of IEEEXtreme. In 2021, he serves as the Vice President of the IEEE Foundation.

Tijmens goal is to change energy. After many years of experience in wind projects and solar energy worldwide, Tijmen Keesmaat has been working since 2015 as one of the three directors in the Dutch company Green Trust. By developing wind and solar farms, Green Trust wants to facilitate the energy transition to climate neutrality. Among many other projects, Tijmen was the director of the Krammer Wind Farm, the largest and most famous civic initiative in the Netherlands, from inception to construction. The development of wind and solar power plants in collaboration with the local community in a sustainable way is the standard of the Green Trust.

Diana Madunic, the Ambassador of Sweden to the Republic of Croatia, took office on 7th September 2018. Before her posting in Zagreb Diana Madunic worked as Ambassador-at-large for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Stockholm. She developed the Government’s new and more ambitious policy on sustainable business, and supported the development of corporate social responsibility, including ethical and sustainable business practices, among Swedish and international companies. Before that Ambassador Madunic was the Head of the Foreign Affairs and EU Department at the Prime Minister’s Office including during the Swedish EU Presidency in 2009. During her carrier Ambassador Madunic also served as Counsellor (“Antici”) at Sweden's largest mission abroad - the Representation of Sweden to the EU in Brussels, and as coordinator to the Political Director at the Cabinet of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. She has a degree in Political Science from the University of Gothenburg and of Public International Law with focus on human rights from the Åbo Akademi University in Finland. She is fluent in Swedish and English, and uses French, Spanish, and Croatian.

Mrs. Misako Kaji holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Tokyo, followed by a master’s degree in philosophy, politics and economics from Oxford University. Within the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she served in the Japanese embassies in the United Kingdom and Vietnam, in the Japanese missions to the EU and the UN, and as an ambassador and deputy permanent representative, she served in international organizations in Geneva. She has also served as Special Adviser to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Deputy Spokesman for the Japanese Prime Minister, and as Professor of International Politics at the University of Tokyo and Hitotsubashi University. She was also a member of the United Nations Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Issues and a member of the UN Secretary-General's Peacebuilding Fund.

John Heinsen works with creatives and brands in the development of TV, film, and emerging media projects through his company Bunnygraph. As a transmedia thought leader, John has led projects from the Academy Awards for ABC/Disney to his recent undertaking RETURN TO LE CATEAU 1917 which looks to redefine remembrance through a human connection. In 2019 Bunnygraph entered into a development pact with Amulet Studios in Zagreb, Croatia to develop IP centered around global social impact.
John is a veteran of the FOX Broadcasting Company, International Creative Management (ICM), and Castle Rock Entertainment. He is the former Vice President, New Media for the Producers Guild of America (PGA), sits on the Influencer Advisory Board for the culture trends thinktank Sparks & Honey (Omnicom), and is a mentor for the Storytek Startup Accelerator in Tallinn, Estonia. John lives in Los Angeles and is a Graduate of the American Film Institute (AFI) Conservatory and the University of Arizona.

Aldo Lele is Sustainability manager at IKEA South East Europe (SEE). South East Europe region includes 5 countries - Croatia, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and Ukraine. He is responsible for leading, developing and implementing sustainability related projects and topics in the whole SEE market. Aldo has been with IKEA for almost 15 years. He started his IKEA jurney as Colaborador in 2006 in IKEA Portugal. He has changed various positions in IKEA Portugal through years and some of them are: Communication and Interior design manager, Project manager, Country Sustainability leader and he is Sustainability manager in SEE region at the moment. Aldo is passioned about People and Planet positive actions and inspiring others to live more sustainable life. He believes that together with co-workers and customers around the world, a new vision of how people can live a better life within the limits of the planet can be co-created. That means that everybody should always think long-term - The more people we reach, the bigger the impact we can have together.

INGEBORG NIESTROY is senior fellow at the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) in Potsdam, working on 'a geography of sustainability governance' and with the 'Science Platform Sustainability 2030'. She has longstanding experience in the multi-sector, - level and –actor arenas of sustainable development, at EU level, in European and international cooperations, most notably as director of EEAC, the European network of advisory councils for environmental policy and sustainable development, in the civil society alliance SDG Watch Europe and the European Commission's multi-stakeholder platform on Agenda 2030. She has (co-)authored, lead and collaborated in a number of studies on governance for sustainable development, including the recent study of the European Parliament on SDG implementation in all EU member states. Ingeborg is geographer and received a PhD in planning from the TU Berlin, on decision-making processes with strategic environmental assessment.

Dr Louis Meuleman is member and currently Rapporteur of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Public Administration (CEPA), visiting professor at Leuven University (Belgium), senior fellow at the University of Massachusetts Boston (USA) and research associate at Wageningen University (Netherlands). He has a PhD in public administration and an MSc in environmental biology. He works at the European Commission in Brussels as coordinator of the Environmental Implementation Review and the Greening of the European Semeste. Earlier he was among others director of the Dutch science-policy advisory Council RMNO. His latest book is ‘Metagovernance for Sustainability’ (Routledge, 2018).

Tihana is Founder & CEO of Amulet Studio and MaNaBu Foundation, bringing more than ten years of domestic and international experience in advertising execution, agency management and production of new transmedia content. She was awarded 'Best Startup Female Entrepreneur of the year in 2017 for her achievements, diverse perspectives and positive leadership. Results-oriented, decisive leader with proven success in new market identification and innovations while focusing on creating people-centred sustainable business and empowering children and youth around the world with projects aiming to raise awareness on global challenges.

Veljko Armano Linta is an architect and educator. He is the director of the Armano Linta Studio for Architecture and Design, which focuses on wooden houses, multi-sensory didactic wooden games awarded for ethical design, and a participatory and integrative approach to design. Veljko is a certified Gaia Education trainer, an organization that is a member of the Ecolise network. He is the author and facilitator of a series of participatory educational workshops and residential courses in the field of holistic sustainability, for pupils, students, teachers, activists and citizens. He also works with local communities, supporting municipalities, citizens and their projects by educating them on sustainability and a collaborative culture, and facilitating them as well. Veljko is a key expert in the cross-curricular topic of Sustainable Development in the teaching scenario development project, as a part e-shools. In addition to the Faculty of Architecture in Zagreb and the United World Colleges School in Norway, he has completed UNESCO-supported training: Gaia Education Design for Sustainability, Sustainable Development Goals Multiplier, Ecovillage Design Education and Training of Trainers.

Tomislav Kraljevic is a graduated designer and co-founder of design studio / agency Bestias, which has been involved in complex design and agency work for a large number of domestic and foreign clients for over twenty years. He combines his experience in dealing with multinational companies, like Siemens, Nestle or the Atlantic Group, with a wide range of interests - from visual communications and campaigns to designing childrens games and industrial products. Sustainable development is one of the topics that it has encountered since its inception, which in the last few years has become more than a regular part of the business - the "mainstream" topic in the agencys job list.

Olivera works as European Affairs Manager in Nestlé’s Corporate Communications and Government Relations Department for Zone Europe, Middle East and Nord Africa Region, and is based in Brussels.
In her current capacity, she monitors and influences food supply chain and nutrition related EU legislation engaging with policy makers, international media and food industry stakeholders on a daily basis. Prior to this position, Olivera led the Communications and Marketing services Department of the Nestlé Company for the Adriatic Region (Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Serbia, Macedonia, Montenegro) for ten years. She started her career in T-Mobile Croatia and has close to 20 years of experience in strategic communication, marketing and public affairs. She holds Masters Degrees in German and Russian Language and Literature and Marketing.

She completed a postgraduate specialist study in Public Relations at the Faculty of Political Science in Zagreb and graduated Croatian Language and Literature at the Faculty of Philosophy in Rijeka. She works as an advisor to the Minister at the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development. At the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Energy, she worked as a spokesperson, head of the Public Relations and Protocol Service, and head of the Public Relations Department. She is a member of the Croatian Public Relations Association and the Croatian Writers' Association, and was a member of the Commission for Gender Equality of the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County (2016-2019), vice president of the Cultural Council for Books and Publishing of Rijeka (2012) and president of the Women's Association in Science and the Arts (2010-2012). She is the winner of the Annual Award for Contribution to the Promotion of Human Rights and Gender Equality of the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County (2014) and the winner of the stimulation of the Ministry of Culture for the best achievements in the field of literary creation in 2013 and 2014.

Tatjana Rajković MBA – 2 1 years of experience in market research. Working at GfK as Research Director, she gained knowledge of various industries. She is an irreparable and curious market researcher. The KVAKA team is looking for new challenges and business solutions to the happiness and satisfaction of our clients in Croatia, and beyond.

Kotono Hara is government official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of Japan, having previously been in charge of the health and other development agendas for the G7 Ise-Shima Summit, then worked on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and now counsellor at the Embassy of Japan in the UK. She is also an author of picture books, including on SDGs, and engage in research and pro bono activities as a member of Institute of Sustainable Society. She holds a PhD from University of Osaka (2011), an MPhil from University of Cambridge (2008) and an MBA from Université de Paris I (2003).